Auto Insurance

With the Florida economy down and gasoline prices up, L.J. Ford, a part-time resident of Pompano Beach, is looking for ways to trim his transportation costs. "We have several vehicles, including our large RV," he says, "and insurance costs are becoming an issue. I would like to know at what point it's worthwhile to drop full-coverage insurance on a vehicle to save money?" Pete Dorigizzi, sales manager for Heacock Insurance Group, headquartered in Lakeland, said that's "a very common question, and a good one -- unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

A Seminole County woman paid for theme-park tickets, tanning sessions, a plane ticket, a housekeeper and a host of other expenses by stealing from a DeBary doctor when she was his office manager, deputies said today. Tisha Krutsinger, 40, of Longwood ripped off Dr. Humberto Dominguez for more than $136,149 and investigators are still examining financial records, said Gary Davidson, a spokesman for the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Krutsinger, the doctor's office manager since August 2011, was fired in May. Now she is wanted on a charge of organized scheme to defraud and fraudulent use of a credit card, the Sheriff's Office said.

PLAN FOR CHANGE. Consumer groups outlined safety and regulatory measures Monday in Washington that they said could lower auto insurance premiums as much as $277 a year for the typical household. The plan: repeal antitrust exemptions for the insurance industry; repeal state laws prohibiting group sales and discounts by agents; make more price information available to consumers; establish independent advocates to represent consumers in government rate proceedings; and take steps to curb drunken driving, improve truck safety and lower driving speeds.

I'm ticked off that Florida does not require auto inspections. In addition to finding faults with autos, especially overly-tinted windows, this is a way for the state to check on driver's licenses, auto insurance and criminal activity, such as stolen autos. I want safe vehicles on the road with licensed, insured drivers and the state has an obligation to provide same! I'm ticked off because I have been harassed and retaliated against by my supervisor for years and, even after filing grievances his superiors have not reprimanded him or even tried mediation to try and solve the situation.

Since the 1970s, Florida has required drivers to pay for Personal Injury Protection coverage in their auto-insurance policies. PIP pays the first $10,000 in medical bills for victims in motor-vehicle accidents, no matter who is at fault. Critics argue this no-fault system has been plagued by fraud, including from feigned injuries and staged accidents. A 2011 study for the Florida Cabinet pegged the cost of PIP abuse at more than $900 million that year - a cost passed on to drivers in higher insurance premiums.

Another legislative session, another shot at fortifying the Florida automotive insurance against rampant fraud. Personal injury protection has long been a sucker for scam artists. The question has been how best to buffer it without undermining the effectiveness, and accessibility to treatment, in PIP coverage. This year, lawmakers have a proposal before them that could provide an effective antidote. Lawmakers should give strong consideration to legislation requiring people injured in vehicular mishaps to get care in emergency rooms.

The Florida Department of Insurance has released a new auto insurance shoppers' guide. The free guide includes shopping tips, sample rate comparisons from areas around the state and information on mandatory and optional insurance coverage.The guide also discusses changes in Florida law that may affect auto insurance costs.For a free copy of the guide, write to Auto Guide, LL-25, The Capitol, Tallahassee, Fla., 32399-0300, or call toll-free (800) 342-2762.

SANFORD – State Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, who's bucking to become Florida's House Speaker in 2014, had his drivers license suspended in November for failing to have auto insurance, according to state records. On Thursday, it was reinstated. Dorworth, 33, a land developer, said Friday that he would never let his auto coverage lapse and the state got it wrong. "I went down yesterday and showed them I had proof of insurance," he said. "It was wrongly suspended two months ago."

TALLAHASSEE — We couldn't set the holiday table for an early Florida legislative session without a heaping helping of interest-group squabbling. And one of the most cash-fueled battles to christen the New Year will be over your auto insurance. Florida's personal-injury protection (PIP) auto-insurance law is under assault from Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater , Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers who argue the state's unique no-fault insurance environment is plagued by staged accidents and overbilling, sticking drivers with a $910 million "fraud tax" built into their premiums.

A consumer group unveiled a plan Monday it said would cut auto insurance rates 25 percent nationwide by forcing insurers to be more competitive and responsive to consumers needs.The National Insurance Consumer Organization, a non-profit group that monitors the insurance industry, said at a news conference the plan would save Americans more than $10 billion.''Auto insurance costs too much,'' J. Robert Hunter, president of the group, told a news conference. ''Quite frequently, the insurance costs more than a used car.''The plan would repeal special laws Hunter said insulate insurance companies from competition and thus foster inefficiency.

Since the 1970s, Florida has required drivers to pay for Personal Injury Protection coverage in their auto-insurance policies. PIP pays the first $10,000 in medical bills for victims in motor-vehicle accidents, no matter who is at fault. Critics argue this no-fault system has been plagued by fraud, including from feigned injuries and staged accidents. A 2011 study for the Florida Cabinet pegged the cost of PIP abuse at more than $900 million that year - a cost passed on to drivers in higher insurance premiums.

In a case stemming from a 2008 collision in The Villages, a state appeals court has ruled that an auto insurer should cover damages caused by a policyholder who was driving a golf cart that had been modified to travel more than 20 mph. The 5th District Court of Appeal reversed a Sumter circuit judge's ruling in favor of Security National Insurance Co. The court found that the souped-up golf cart, unlike typical golf carts, met the legal definition of...

Although Junel Basile's job title was "driver," what he really did for Metro Chiropractic & Wellness Center, federal authorities say, was recruit people to participate in staged car accidents and meticulously plan the crashes. At the same time, the manager at Metro Chiropractic, Sergei Kusyakov, paid Florida Hospital employees to steal patient data so the center could solicit legitimate car-accident victims for business, according to federal-court records. Experts say the cases, both being prosecuted in Orlando federal court, are examples of the kind of insurance fraud that costs Americans billions of dollars each year.

The "stand your ground" law is flawed, as it is based on perception. If I feel threatened by someone, I can shoot him. The best laws are based on people's actions. The Lake County School Board has an opportunity to become the poster child for nutty ideas again by arming teachers and principals. Next will be bus drivers, custodians and crossing guards. If front-yard gardens are approved for nice neighborhoods, why don't we just throw in a few pigs, chickens and cows to give them a really homey look and feel?

It turns out that the cost of driving a car in California isn't higher than in most other states — in fact, it is right in the middle, according to an analysis by CarInsurance.com, an auto insurance information company. CarInsurance.com compiled what it calls the Automotive Misery Index. For each state, it weighs the average household income against the cost of gasoline, the number of miles driven by the typical driver and the price of insurance for a 2012 Honda Accord EX, a family car that sells well nationally.

I'm ticked off because too many people with too little money and no auto insurance are driving around in big cars. To the person ticked off at law enforcement for "breaking traffic laws:" Please explain how we can catch people speeding if we can't speed ourselves? I'm so ticked off at the number of people that park in the traffic lane in front of a store to use an outside ATM or even go in the store to make a purchase. They will also use the covered drive-through to do the same.

An amendment that could have granted auto insurance companies automatic rate increases of up to 6 percent was withdrawn Tuesday after Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher complained to House leaders.Gallagher discovered the amendment by Insurance Chairman Peter Deutsch, D-Sunrise, when he went to the House to talk to leaders about an agreement with Deutsch on a bill that would create a public counsel to represent consumers concerning auto and health insurance rates.The proposal was scheduled to come up Tuesday, but the House adjourned before getting to it.Deutsch's amendment would have speeded up review by Gallagher's office of auto insurance rate increases of up to 6 percent.

Gov. Bob Martinez signed a major package of automobile insurance reforms Thursday that will require insurers to refund excess profits and provide discounts to drivers with safety features on their cars.The law is designed to reduce rates for drivers, but no one can say yet by how much or when.''The bill provides for any discounts to be set by the marketplace,'' said Jon Peck, the governor's press secretary.In a prepared statement, Martinez said the bill could result in more competition that could reduce rates.

When Leanne Digan dropped off her car for repair Aug. 6 at Autobarn Volkswagen of Countryside, the 2006 Passat needed only minor work. She assumed it was an easy fix — the remote key device had quit working. But finding a replacement key took the dealership longer than anticipated. In the days that followed, Digan called several times and was told repeatedly the replacement key had not yet arrived, she said. On Aug. 11, the dealership called with disturbing news. "He said, 'Did you pick up your car?